The art of the present invention relates to game or ball training equipment in general and more particularly to an apparatus and method of use which launches a soccer or other type of ball and provides a plurality of user controllable ball pitches, distances, trajectories, spins, angles, cants, or swerves in a compact and portable form. The present art is also useful with volleyball, American football, rugby, baseball, softball, futsal, and cricket. The apparatus and method of use is especially useful for aiding, improving, and developing the skills of a soccer player, regardless of his or her skill level. The apparatus and method of use improves player and goalie shooting and trapping skills by providing ball projections which mimic real game situations. The present art may be utilized as an ultimate finishing solution for players desiring to hone their technique. The term “soccer” is typically utilized within North America, South Africa, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Zimbabwe to describe the game more formally known as “Association Football” in other countries around the world. The game is also known as Football, Futbol, or Footy/Footie.
The present art accepts, accelerates, and launches a ball with user desirable motion characteristics, such as linear acceleration, angular acceleration, spin, or a combination thereof. The apparatus provides adjustments for elevation, yaw, pitch, and spin which affect the exiting ball trajectory. When adjusted as desired, the exiting ball trajectory or path is highly repeatable.
Soccer players and goalies, as well as other types of game players which interface with a ball, must master a plurality of skills for effective play, including but not limited to ball control, ball possession, ball passing, ball blocking, and ball shooting. As understood within the soccer arts, players utilize their feet, legs, chest, shoulder, and head to receive, control, and redirect the ball with goalies utilizing their hands in addition to the aforesaid. The aforesaid skills are mastered through repetitive training whereby an unconscious muscle memory is created within the player and allows the player to react instantaneously when a ball arrives at any specific angle, velocity or speed, or trajectory. During training, it is essential that the moving ball or ball service be presented in a repeatable fashion whereby said player may develop said muscle memory. The aforesaid unconscious muscle memory is also found within a plurality of other sports including but not limited to baseball, basketball, football, volleyball, and tennis.
The present art apparatus and method of use allows user adjustment whereby a repeatable ball service is provided for a plurality of ball types, including but not limited to soccer balls, volleyballs, footballs, baseballs, softballs, rugby balls, cricket balls, and basketballs. The apparatus provides user adjustability for ball velocity, exiting elevation, trajectory, angular velocity or yaw, and spin. Ball velocity and trajectory are further quickly adjustable or user adjustable on the fly via a foot actuated accelerator or power pedal. The unique ball mount of the present art has the ability to adjust the spin on a vertical axis and at the same time on a horizontal axis. The vertical axis control is secured by two serrated or grooved mating and adjustable locking disks on a left and right side of a ball mount. This adjustment controls the spin and height of the ball thrown and also dictates at what angle the ball projects on the vertical axis. The ball mount is also formed in such a fashion as to control left to right spin and or curve of the ball being thrown. This aspect of the apparatus also dictates the amount of side spin a user can put on the ball. When both of the aforesaid features are used in conjunction with one another, a bending dip may be placed upon the ball. The dip is as seen on free kicks and placed shots and also on corner kicks. The unique features of the present apparatus are especially useful for goalie training such as bending a ball around a wall of players and dipping the ball into the goal proximately near the goal.
The apparatus further includes a ball storing and feeding structure which allows quick and easy loading of balls. The method of use allows a player to receive balls at a plurality of angles, velocities, trajectories, and spins whereby the player may develop the desired muscle memory for game play. The apparatus and method of use is especially useful for coaches and trainers whereby a repeatable set of ball angles, velocities, trajectories, and spins may be utilized during a course of player training and to assess the skills of any individual player.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a ball projecting and training apparatus and method of use which is safe and capable of launching a ball in a predictable and repeatable fashion with a plurality of user desirable and adjustable velocities, elevations, trajectories, angular velocities or yaws, and spins.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a ball projecting and training apparatus and method of use which easily allows a player or goalie to improve their shooting and trapping skills by providing ball projections which mimic real game situations.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a ball projecting and training apparatus and method of use which imparts desirable ball motion characteristics, such as linear acceleration, angular acceleration, spin, or a combination thereof and provides adjustments for ball trajectory elevation, yaw, pitch, and spin.